SOFT-LAND SKIM-BOARDING RIDE LAUNCHED –
A WORLD FIRST!

SPEEDLINER® Europe recently completed a ground-breaking project for Murphys Waves Limited, Glasgow based designers, manufactures and installers of wave machine generators. The ‘Stingray Half Pipe’ simulator is the world’s first surfing / skim-boarding ride with a ‘soft’ landing and special foam tiled surface. Colin Nash, Managing Director of West-Midlands-based SPEEDLINER® Europe, was enlisted to assist with the development and application of the tough, durable, ‘all weather’ coating for the pool’s surface lining system.

The USA’s Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department commissioned Murphys Waves Ltd, who specialise in simulated wave pools and specialised ‘surf’ board riding pools, to provide the new shallow water, half pipe ride for the Splash Park at Manhattan City Park, Kansas, USA.

The Stingray has curved sidewalls at a 90 degree angle; its 30 degree downward slope with opposing upwards water flow enables users to surf realistically in the pool. It is used by both leisure visitors wanting to try body boarding, and also experienced boarders wanting to hone their technique in shallow water.

Managing Director Douglas Murphy, of Murphys Waves, asked Colin Nash to provide a suitable lining product and also develop a system of lining the Stingray that would provide protection from the outside elements. Colin’s solution also reduced the likelihood of cuts and wear and tear from users of board equipment, thus providing Murphys Waves with a unique, user-safe surface.



A robust lining system
“We provide technically-advanced polymer coatings that prolong the lives of the surface they cover; our main markets are the automotive and industrial industries, and the SPEEDLINER® product is commonly used to line panel vans, specialist vehicles and any surface subject to unusual ‘wear and tear’. The product offers weather protection, ease of cleaning, anti-slip enhancement if required, and a reduction in material deterioration,” Colin explains.

“The Stingray project was the biggest, most exciting and challenging thing we have ever done. I worked closely with Douglas Murphy’s consultant engineer, who developed the machine’s wave generator, to provide a lining system that matched the client’s needs. The Stingray is essentially a 15ft high, shaped concrete pool with a fibreglass liner covered in special, impact absorbing, neoprene rubber tiles. Our job was to seal the unit using our special SPEEDLINER® polymer coating and also provide a final high-gloss surface that would retain colour stability. This was no mean feat, as we had to carry out the final spray application ‘on-site’ in the Kansas tornado season!” Colin adds. “We also had to deal with the issues that chlorine and standing water bring, in terms of protecting the polymer and the gloss finish.”

After liaising with local contractors, a system was set up on-site that allowed the necessary weatherproofing shelter, air extraction and internal climate control for application of the polymer coating. This allowed Colin and his assistant, along with specially-trained Scottish technicians, to line the pool with just the right amount of polymer coats, which would then receive two special polymer gloss coats. “It is a balancing act, because if we apply too much coating, we would negate the soft landing qualities of the special foam tiles; too little coating may render the surface open to potential ‘cut and tear’ damage” Colin adds.

“The project took twelve weeks in total, from development, sample creation and testing, to training and ‘on-site’ application; it was definitely our most ambitious project yet. However, the pool is a great success, and we are definitely looking forward to working alongside Murphys Waves again to offer this superior lining service, following their recent successes at major international exhibitions connected with the leisure and specialist pool industry. Our product has been independently proven to be the world’s toughest spray liner, and we know it can offer leisure and entertainment venues unique benefits. The durable, coating surfacing we created for the Stingray could easily be replicated in British shallow wave and surf pools,” Colin concludes.